This is what works for scientists who have successfully made the transition into technical writing.
- Rework your resume. Most resumes of grad students and post-docs start with educational background and end with a list of publications with titles that are incomprehensible to anyone outside of the applicant's own subfield. This says "SCIENTIST" in large, bold type.
- Instead, create a functional (skills-based) resume. Start with a concise job objective, such as "to combine my scientific background and writing skills in a challenging position." List your skills and detail your experience, concentrating on writing and computers. Give brief summaries of your employment experience and education and tell how many publications you have. Your resume" should be no longer than one or two pages.
- Get some experience. Submit freelance science articles to your local paper. Volunteer to write for or edit the newsletter of the local chapter of the scientific society to which you belong. You need to build up a "portfolio," a body of your work that isn't made up only of scientific publications (although successfully funded grant proposals are a plus). Volunteer work is also a good line on a resume.
- Learn a word processing or desktop publishing program. The more tools of the trade you know, the better. Start with the word-processing programs Word or WordPerfect, which most research groups use to write their papers. If you're serious about tech writing, get a copy of Frame-maker, PageMaker, or Quark Xpress, which are desktop publishing programs. Most college bookstores have academic discounts on software. Frame-Maker is the most expensive but most useful of the three and this makes an excellent line on a resume. Besides, you'll need to know one of these programs for your technical writing classes.
- Take technical writing classes. It helps to have a credential on your resume that doesn't say "SCIENTIST." Writing classes are also helpful in learning to write for different audiences, and the classes will deprogram you from writing in the dry, passive-voice, scientific style. ("A 5-ml aliquot of dichloromethane was added to a round-bottom flask containing compound 1. The mixture was then stirred at ambient temperature for an 8-hour period." Instead say, "Add 5 ml of dichloromethane to compound 1 in a round-bottom flask. Stir at room temperature for 8 hours.")
Check with your local community college or state university campus for technical writing certificate programs. You can take classes part-time while you're still a grad student or post-doc. I started taking classes when I found out that the grant supporting my post-doc position wasn't renewed (I guess we didn't explain the utility of K" fluorescence spectroscopy well enough). I was tired of research and was going to become a tech writer anyway, but the thought of impending unemployment gave me an incentive to leave research. I kept taking classes after my post-doc ended, and I was out of work for only 2 months when I found my internship.
- Find an internship. Working as an intern can teach you how to be a technical writer in the real world. These jobs are also easier to get than are full-time jobs if you have no experience. Be willing to accept relatively low pay ($8-$ 15 per hour) for 3 to 6 months. Internships can lead to a permanent position at the same company or at another company. Either way, you'll have marketable experience.
Some recruiters will hire inexperienced writers as contractors. This is very useful experience, but be careful to read every word of the contract before you sign. Don't sign just anything because you think you can't find any other job. Also, if you do take a contract that isn't an internship, don't take less than $20 to $25 per hour for your first job.
- Join the Society for Technical Communication (STC). The STC, an international organization of about 15,000 technical writers, is based in Arlington, Virginia. It has chapters in every state in the United States. STC meetings are a great place to network. Each chapter also has a list of available jobs, most of them posted by members or local recruiters. STC contact information is listed at the end of this chapter under "Resources." Membership costs $95 per year ($40 for students in technical writing programs).
Most technical writing jobs are not listed in the newspaper. If you don't have many contacts in the tech writing field, then the local STC chapter is the best place to begin your search. College placement offices and technical communication (or English, etc.) departments help their students find jobs.
Once you find a job, keep your skills and resume current. Learn as much as you can about everything. Network as much as you can. You never know what will lead to your next job.
Where Can You Go From Technical Writing?
Most writers eventually become managers of other writers, or they become freelancers, that is, they work for themselves as contractors or consultants. They can also go into marketing communications (advertising and public relations work) or science journalism. Some writers prefer to remain as individual contributors at a company, but they move up in rank and pay by changing companies. This is the Silicon Valley way of getting promotions and raises.
Scientists have other career paths. Going back into the lab is an option, but it gets more difficult the longer you're out of the lab. In companies like mine, which are characterized by interdisciplinary teams and a relatively flat (non-hierarchical) organization, lateral moves are common. R&D scientists often switch research groups or move into process development or marketing. Most marketing people at my company came from the lab bench, as did the executives.
Scientists who are technical writers can also move into areas with more direct customer contact, such as marketing, technical support, sales, and field service. Our company also supports rotations, where you can work in a different area for a month or a few months. I learned a lot by working in our technical support department, taking customer phone calls for a few days, and I plan to do a rotation there for a month later this year.
Outside of industry, science journalism and science and technology policy are also possibilities, because people who work in public policy write many reports.
In short, there are very few limits to what you can do as a technical writer.
